[Odrax]

Hello friends!

I'm also trying to build htpc. I still have old receiver with SPDIF output, so this built in 1st post (zotac or custom build) is a way to go for me.

What I would like to know.. or get recommendation is for casing. Antec isk looks great, but I'm also looking for something with 5.25 bay, so I could also install some bluray unit. I'm trying to get rid of panny external bluray unit, so I could use only htpc for everything.

The only thing is, case must not be higher than 10 cm (4 inches).

Any suggestions?


Thank you very much!

This would work. it's 3.9" and has external 5.25" drive bay.
so would this and if you can add an inch, my personal favorite that is currently on its way to me

[El Duque]

Greetings. First of all, thank you for this forum and these suggested builds. I am new to XBMC and planning to build an HTPC to run XBMC on Windows. I am leaning toward most of the build #5 but have a couple of questions:

1.) Is there any reason I should NOT use the Core i3 3245 instead of the Core i3 3225? They both use Intel® HD Graphics 4000 and are about the same price. The 3245 is a bit newer (Q2 '13 vs Q3 '12) and a bit faster (3.4 GHz vs 3.3 GHz).

2.) Do you recommend running XBMC on Windows 8 or on Windows 7 (or does it really make a difference)?

Thanks!

[Odrax]

Greetings. First of all, thank you for this forum and these suggested builds. I am new to XBMC and planning to build an HTPC to run XBMC on Windows. I am leaning toward most of the build #5 but have a couple of questions:

1.) Is there any reason I should NOT use the Core i3 3245 instead of the Core i3 3225? They both use Intel® HD Graphics 4000 and are about the same price. The 3245 is a bit newer (Q2 '13 vs Q3 '12) and a bit faster (3.4 GHz vs 3.3 GHz).

2.) Do you recommend running XBMC on Windows 8 or on Windows 7 (or does it really make a difference)?

Thanks!

1. I am currently in the process of building an HTPC and bought the i3-3245. Very little reviews as it just came out but increased specs for the same price so why not. I'll update in case i find something wrong/incompatible/etc.

2. I will be running mine on 7, I really have no need for 8 as the tile/metro features and start screen are of no use to me.

[ammar577]

Hi All,
im new to this forum,
im a big fan of htpc's but always used it the easy way,

i have used a 2009 mac mini as an htpc till now.
in 2012 i have build an Unraid Nas server mainly to manage my downloads and streaming.
the unraid runs plex server, sickbeard, couchpotato, and sabnzbd
the unraid:
Ram:16GB
CPU: Intel Xeon Quad-Core E3-1230V2
Motherboard: SUPERMICRO MBD-X9SCM-F-O
Storage: 18 TB and growing
it has been stable for the last year and it streams my media to 5 devices on local or wan in HD with out a problem.

now i have noticed that my mac mini is getting very slow and sluggish it doesn't Handle HD as good as my roku 3 or any other device.

i plan to build a new replacement with these parts:
motherboard: GA-Z77N-WIFI (gigabyte) any
ram: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (CML16GX3M2A1600C10)
PSU: 500 or 600 watt modular
SSD: 240 GB (boot disk)
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770
CASE: BitFenix Mini-ITX Tower Case
Graphic card: GTX 660TI or 650TI or 760 ( i want the best but not overkill)

im open for any suggestions and advice, i dont mind using any os (Mac/Hackintosh, Windows) or even dual boot, and also im open to use any software which will give me the best result
any other options or parts recommendations are welcome

what i want now is to build a system that can play blue-ray, full HD , and 3D capable,
im not interested in tv tuner because i dont think my provider will have any support for it

i hope this machine to survive at least 2-4 years before any upgrades again, budget is not a problem up to 3000 dollars

i look forward to hear from you

Regards,

Ammar

[funguykk]

After a lot of research, looks like all the HTPC 'gurus' are preferring Intel over AMD because of proper Linux driver support. I've made the switch from AMD to Intel.
Trying to go for the cheapest possible 3D capable HTPC that can bitstream HD audio and this is the combination I found. Can someone confirm if this would fit my requirement of "Cheapest+3D+bitstream HTPC only" system?

Intel 2.9 GHz G2020 Processor
The cheapest suitable LGA1155 motherboard with USB3.0 ports
Nvidia GT520 2GB DDR3 Graphic Card (OR) NVIDIA 2GB GT610 (supports 3D and HD audio bitstream as per Nvidia's site)
4GB of the cheapest no-frills 1333-DDR3 RAM

Would it?

[00b5]

Hi guys. I'm toying with the idea of ripping up my laptop and using it as an HTPC. Never done anything like it before though.

It's a HP Pavilion (3 years old). So:
AMD Turion™ II Dual-Core Mobile Processor M520 2.3 GHz,
2GB RAM
Nvidia Graphics card.

Will these specs run a USB stick with XBMC or openelec on it?

Thanks

I'm currently testing a dell 1525 laptop (Intel C2Duo w/ X3100 graphics). It has an HDMI out, which i'm using for the output. I put the openelec intel build on an old hdd on it, and hooked it up. Streaming via my unraid box (laptop only has 10/100 though).

Results are MUCH better support/speed/overall feel than my ATV2s running XBMC. While its not the fastest machine, it handles my higher bitrate 1080p sources a LOT better.

Since you already have the laptop, get a USB stick and try it out. I think it is at least worth your while.

---

Hello friends!

I'm also trying to build htpc. I still have old receiver with SPDIF output, so this built in 1st post (zotac or custom build) is a way to go for me.

What I would like to know.. or get recommendation is for casing. Antec isk looks great, but I'm also looking for something with 5.25 bay, so I could also install some bluray unit. I'm trying to get rid of panny external bluray unit, so I could use only htpc for everything.

The only thing is, case must not be higher than 10 cm (4 inches).

Any suggestions?


Thank you very much!

I got this HDMI switcher to pass the spdif back to my AVR. It has the added benefit of saving me having to change AVR inputs and TV inputs constantly to get the right setup. It will bitstream DTS/DD (not the HD versions) to the AVR for me.

Just an idea, might be easier to not limit yourself to HTPC hardware with optical/coax outs.

[lemnarm]

After a lot of research, looks like all the HTPC 'gurus' are preferring Intel over AMD because of proper Linux driver support. I've made the switch from AMD to Intel.
Trying to go for the cheapest possible 3D capable HTPC that can bitstream HD audio and this is the combination I found. Can someone confirm if this would fit my requirement of "Cheapest+3D+bitstream HTPC only" system?

Intel 2.9 GHz G2020 Processor
The cheapest suitable LGA1155 motherboard with USB3.0 ports
Nvidia GT520 2GB DDR3 Graphic Card (OR) NVIDIA 2GB GT610 (supports 3D and HD audio bitstream as per Nvidia's site)
4GB of the cheapest no-frills 1333-DDR3 RAM

Would it?

I have very recently built HTPC using the same processor but without the nvidia card and I can tell you is that it runs 1080p any version without a hickup , 15% CPU usage MAX. I haven't tried any 3D because any 3D out there is rubbish but I am being told that it's a bit underpowered for that , but a i3 prefferably having Haswell inside (the latest i3) would handle any 3D without a problem. If I were you I would go with i3 and no dedicated graphics card , lower power usage , lower heat to dissipate , you can integrate it into a nice SFF case that you can place under the TV. The HD bitstream works like a charm out of the box , I have a Onkyo Receiver to handle the audio stream.

I hope this helps. PM me if you need some more info.

[hugohek]

Now, if your looking at Powering ON your HTPC from a complete OFF State using a Remote,
this thread Here will suggest you 5 ways to make this feature possible!

-eSKRo-

Hello -eSKRo-

First of all I would like to thank you for your great post. I build a great system (option #5) and running Openelec. Is all works great. Now I was planning to buy the remote as quoted above but it is not available anymore. I contacted Asrock and they gave me the following reaction:

----------

Unfortunately we stopped selling the ASRock Smart Remote, and do not have the receiver part anymore either. The demand for it was not high enough. Sorry.

-------------

Just wanna let you know...

[funguykk]

Intel 2.9 GHz G2020 Processor
The cheapest suitable LGA1155 motherboard with USB3.0 ports
Nvidia GT520 2GB DDR3 Graphic Card (OR) NVIDIA 2GB GT610 (supports 3D and HD audio bitstream as per Nvidia's site)

I have very recently built HTPC using the same processor but without the nvidia card and I can tell you is that it runs 1080p any version without a hickup , 15% CPU usage MAX. I haven't tried any 3D because any 3D out there is rubbish but I am being told that it's a bit underpowered for that , but a i3 prefferably having Haswell inside (the latest i3) would handle any 3D without a problem. If I were you I would go with i3 and no dedicated graphics card , lower power usage , lower heat to dissipate , you can integrate it into a nice SFF case that you can place under the TV. The HD bitstream works like a charm out of the box , I have a Onkyo Receiver to handle the audio stream.

I hope this helps. PM me if you need some more info.

Thanks a lot for your advice! For some reason, not all processor models come to India OR they are not stocked everywhere. Considering the prices, I'm getting this CPU + Asus fanless GT610-SL-2GD3-L 2 GB card for a lower price than Core i3 2120 or i3 3220. Not sure if either of these processors can do 3D + HD bitstream as they have Intel HD 2XXX. I even considered the AMD A4-5300 or A6-5400 path but I'm a little worried about driver issues if I run Linux or OpenElec on it.

[lemnarm]

Intel 2.9 GHz G2020 Processor
The cheapest suitable LGA1155 motherboard with USB3.0 ports
Nvidia GT520 2GB DDR3 Graphic Card (OR) NVIDIA 2GB GT610 (supports 3D and HD audio bitstream as per Nvidia's site)

I have very recently built HTPC using the same processor but without the nvidia card and I can tell you is that it runs 1080p any version without a hickup , 15% CPU usage MAX. I haven't tried any 3D because any 3D out there is rubbish but I am being told that it's a bit underpowered for that , but a i3 prefferably having Haswell inside (the latest i3) would handle any 3D without a problem. If I were you I would go with i3 and no dedicated graphics card , lower power usage , lower heat to dissipate , you can integrate it into a nice SFF case that you can place under the TV. The HD bitstream works like a charm out of the box , I have a Onkyo Receiver to handle the audio stream.

I hope this helps. PM me if you need some more info.

Thanks a lot for your advice! For some reason, not all processor models come to India OR they are not stocked everywhere. Considering the prices, I'm getting this CPU + Asus fanless GT610-SL-2GD3-L 2 GB card for a lower price than Core i3 2120 or i3 3220. Not sure if either of these processors can do 3D + HD bitstream as they have Intel HD 2XXX. I even considered the AMD A4-5300 or A6-5400 path but I'm a little worried about driver issues if I run Linux or OpenElec on it.

The dedicated card is more than adequate for 3D and HD bitstream , and the CPU will handle everything else without a hickup. If you plan to go the linux way then stand clear of AMD AMD is great in windows but in Linux is rubbish. Regarding the prices , it's the same here in RO Pentium Dual Core + Dedicated 610 is less then i3 by 20%. If space / heat generation is not an issue then you can go with Dual Core + dedicated for sure. I have also considered A6 at first but it runs hotter than intel and it's a weak CPU so I went the Intel way

enjoy your system

[ForgottenMan]

Hi guys,

I'm about to build my first htpc, and i have a question: which platform should I choose: Intel or AMD?

My htpc will run xbmcbuntu and I'll use it for hd videos only. It should be:
1. as quiet as possible
2. low power consuming
3. cheap

The goals are set from the most important to less...
The main goal is to play all hd films smoothly of course...

[lemnarm]

Hi guys,

I'm about to build my first htpc, and i have a question: which platform should I choose: Intel or AMD?

My htpc will run xbmcbuntu and I'll use it for hd videos only. It should be:
1. as quiet as possible
2. low power consuming
3. cheap

The goals are set from the most important to less...
The main goal is to play all hd films smoothly of course...

Hi there,

First , you are going the Linux way so stay clear of AMD graphics. That being said and given the fact that you wish only for HD playback , imho I can suggest 2 variants:

1. Intel Pentium Dual Core (G2020 - ivy bridge) - this will play any 2D 1080P and maybe some 3D , but nor reccomended for real 3D
2. Intel i3 - prefferably Haswell if you got the cash - this will play anything you wish - this will be in most cases twice the cost of a Dual Core

All these variants are with stock coolers wich are close to whisper quiet - if you are 2-3m away from it you won't hear it only if in a totally silence env. You can upgrade any with a aftermarket cooler that will make it even quieter ...

Or if you have the cash you can go the passive way , but I heard that it costs a lot and in my opinion it is not worth the effort , but that's your decision.

I hope this helps , cheers

mircea

[ForgottenMan]

Thx for advice. What about Celeron and Nvidia graphic card?

[lemnarm]

Out of my knowledge the celeron will handle 1080p without any problems as it has the same GPU as my Dual Core has which plays any 1080p flawlessly , there is no need for a dedicated nvidia if HD playback is all you want.

Here's a nice build http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=166627

My opinion is: Take the celeron build a system and try it , if that's not enough you can always add the nvidia card but I highly doubt you will need it.

[bastard79]

Hi All, This is my first post

I want to build first htpc on linux OS (xbmcbuntu or debian,gentoo)

the most what i'm using is live tv (dvb-s) so i wonder if that configuration will be work with HD channels

Intel Core i3-4130, Dual Core, 3.40GHz, 3MB, LGA1150, 22nm, 54W, VGA,BOX (GPU Intel HD 4400)
ASUS H81M-PLUS, H81, DualDDR3-1600, SATA3, HDMI, DVI, mATX
4GB Ram

i'm wondering what performance have linux driver for intel gpu ?

what do you think ? is this enough configuration to live tv from satelite with tvheadend pvr at xbmcbuntu ?